Very shy weather loach

[Amelia]

Hello all,

I'm new to the board and to loaches in general. I have a 10 gallon (all I can afford and have the space for, unfortunately) cold water tank wtih two small platties, 5 raspora, and a new baby weather loach. I have named him Spooky because I rarely see him out of his cave. When he does come out (usually when I turn on my light after it has been dark in the room), he'll freak out of a few seconds and then dive back into his cave. I've had him for about three weeks now, so I feel that he should be at least beginning to acclimate. Any ideas about why he's so skittish? Will he pull out of it or might I be doing something to stress him out? I unfortunately do not have room in my tank for another one to keep him company, if that's what's upsetting him.

Thanks for any help,

Amelia

[Martin Thoene]

Hi Amelia and welcome to Loaches Online.

I think you definitely need to read this:

http://community.loaches.com/species-in ... licaudatus

Whoever sold you the Weather Loach for a 10 gallon tank needs shooting
Your Platties and Rasboras are tropical species and need temepratures around 75F. They are not coldwater fish. What is the actual temperature of your tank?

Martin.

[angelfish83]

Whoever sold you the Weather Loach for a 10 gallon tank needs shooting

Isn't that a little extreme Martin?
I thought even the guy who bleached all those fish only deserved a good thrashing...

[Martin Thoene]

Ah...I forgot to say with what

Say 'allo to ma liddle friend..............



Martin.

[Amelia]

I've had platties and raspora in an unheated tank for years. Also, I've known multiple people who have kept weather loaches in 10 gallon tanks - they're pretty hardy. I suppose it's not ideal, but I'm hoping to get a bigger tank by the time he grows up. Anyway, my question is whether or not this is abnormal behavior for a weather loach. Any ideas?

[Mark in Vancouver]

It is said that weather loaches were kept in jars during the renaissance for the purpose of predicting weather - barometric pressure changes make them act out. I think the reason your loach is skittish is because of the small tank. These fish live in darker, often muddy water. Their eyes are tiny because they don't need to see.

In a small tank with activity going on around it, maybe brightly lit, it's no wonder the loach will seek shelter in its cave. I would add to the advice that you'll need a bigger tank soon. In the meantime, consider adding several more hiding spots low in the tank and minimizing both the light and activity near the tank.

And please never think of any loaches as "pretty hardy." These are not goldfish. They are tropicals that need specific kinds of care to do well. We all keep our fish tanks differently, but the quality of life of any animals in our care should be a priority. Don't "get around to it" if you can fix a problem in the short term.

[Laura]

I've a couple of dojos in a 33 gallon and find them quite skittish (except at feeding time). They spend most of their time under the substrate. At different times its been heavily planted and always had a variety of hiding places - I haven't noticed a change in their behaviour.
Regarding the temp for the platties, there was a real mix of info when I did a web search, but practical fishkeeping noted that "Only two species are commonly sold, X. maculatus, and the related Variatus platy, X. variatus. The latter tends not to come in as many colour varieties and tolerates much lower water temperatures (down to 16°C) due to the climate in which it is found in nature."
This could account for the difference in opinion - in short, everyone may be right.
If you have a local fish club, they can be a great way to get tanks for cheap - I understand space restrictions, but the footprint of a 20 gallon isn't much bigger than a 10 - especially if you get a tall tank